Join a supportive community of entrepreneurs and experts to get the support you need to launch, grow and scale your business.

Accelerator applications are now open!

Are you a social entrepreneur looking to scale your business and impact? Are you struggling to make the time to focus on your business strategy, long-term vision and growth? Scaling a business sustainably is hard but with the right support around you, you’ll be able to take your business to the next level.

Over 4 months you will grow your connections, access mentorship, and expert-led workshops to level up your marketing, sales, turnover, and investment. The City Bridge Accelerator programme is suitable for founders whose organisation is based in London has a turnover of around £40k or more.

£15K grant fund

Graduates can apply for a share of £15k in competitive grants, funded by our partners at Natwest.

Being on the programme has helped me and my business grow by increasing the size and quality of my network, giving me a relevant peer group. It’s the most useful thing I’ve done to transition from founder to CEO.

Headshot of Kiemu Salmon

Kiemu Salmon

Beutonomy

Not sure if this programme is right for you?

Do you want to learn more about how Hatch can support your entrepreneurial journey?

Black and white photo of a smiling person with dark curly hair, wearing a sweater and earrings.

Reach out to us for a free, 20-minute chat with Niamh. She’s here to help you navigate your options and find the best fit for your needs. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to scale, we’re here to support you every step of the way. Don’t hesitate to get in touch – we’re excited to hear from you!


Book a call

About the Programme

Cohort-Based Expert-Led Sessions

40 hours of expert-led masterclasses on topics including strategy, finance, leadership, marketing, HR, operations, sales and pitching.

Peer Learning

Access facilitated peer learning, peer coaching, and accountability groups. Gain fascinating insights, exchange ideas and swap skills with like-minded individuals.

1-2-1 Support

Benefit from sector and area-specific experts for bespoke 1-2-1 coaching, consulting and mentoring.

Demo Day

Showcase your business to a panel of experts and get actionable feedback on how to take your business to the next level.

Eligibility Criteria:

Don’t fit the requirements?    View our other programmes

  • You have an annual turnover of roughly £40k+

  • You are based in London, UK

  • You can commit to the workshops and Demo Day

Don’t fit the requirements?    View our other programmes

+123%

Founders said their confidence in being able to access the funding they need increased by 123%

+92%

Founders said their ability to measure the impact of their business went up by 92%

+55%

Founders reported an average increase of 55 % in their knowledge, skills, and confidence in running a business

Hear from our founders

“The money is nice, however, being a part of Hatch’s community to second to none. The networking, opportunities and the business guidance you can gain from being on this programme is priceless.”

Albert Larter – Founder

Wakuda

Play Video about Tameeka Smaith from Trimenco CIC

The programme consists of 16 weekly online sessions and two in-person days.

1

Programme Intro & Exploring your Entrepreneurial Resilience

  • Weds 28th May 9am – 5pm (in-person)

2

Considering your Impact and how you measure it

  • Expert Session: Weds 4th June, 10am – 12pm
  • Workshop: Weds 11th June 10am – 12pm 

3

Building a Money Mindset to grow your business

  • Expert Session: Weds 18th June, 10am – 12pm
  • Workshop: Weds 25th June 10am – 12pm 

4

Opening doors through Funding

  • Expert Session: Weds 2nd July, 10am – 12pm
  • Workshop: Weds 9th July 10am – 12pm 

5

Intentional Marketing & PR

  • Expert Session: Weds 16th July, 10am – 12pm
  • Workshop: Weds 23rd July 10am – 12pm 

6

Mastering the art of Sales

  • Expert Session: Weds 30th July, 10am – 12pm
  • Workshop: Weds 6th 10am – 12pm 

7

Operations and Risk analysis for an expanding organisation

  • Expert Session: Weds 13th August, 10am – 12pm
  • Workshop: Weds 20th August 10am – 12pm

8

Setting up to Scale

  • Expert Session: Weds 27th August 10am – 12pm
  • Workshop: Weds 3rd Sept 10am – 12pm 

9

Pitching and telling your story

  • Expert Session: Weds 10th Sept, 10am – 12pm
  • Workshop: Wed 17th Sept, 10am – 12pm 

10

Demo Day and Graduation

  • Weds 1st October 9am – 5pm (in-person)

Who we are

Hatch is a charity that supports underrepresented entrepreneurs from across the UK to imagine, launch, and grow businesses and organisations that are sustainable, successful, and have a positive and lasting impact on their communities.  We’re working towards a fairer society by helping develop these founders’ skills, knowledge and confidence through our support programmes designed by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs.

We’re not typical of the third sector. Although we’re a charity, as entrepreneurs ourselves we know what it takes to grow a business. We recognise that talent is equally distributed across society, but opportunities are not. Too many people from underrepresented backgrounds are unfairly prevented from realising their entrepreneurial potential to positively impact their own lives, the lives of others in their community and wider society. We’re working to change that by creating an inclusive ecosystem where everyone has access to the power of entrepreneurship to create a fairer economy.

Consequently, while much of our work and support is accessible to all, we focus on supporting founders who are women, from an ethnic minority background, or live with a disability or are neurodivergent – essentially anyone who might typically get overlooked when it comes to getting what they need to launch and grow an organisation in the UK.

9k+

9,000+ founders have been supported through our programmes and events.

81%
More than 8 in 10 of founders on our longer term support programmes are women or identify as women.
61%
More than 6 in 10 of founders on our longer term support programmes are from an ethnic minority background.

Excellent

5 starts representing a 5 star review.
5.0 out of 5.0

Google Reviews

M

Michelle Adams

5 starts representing a 5 star review.

I have had such a great experience with Hatch on the Female Founders Incubator Course from start to finish. I cannot thank them enough for all the advice, tips and help I have received throughout. I would 100% recommend Hatch to anyone who is starting a business or have already formed and running one.

R

Ruth Sturdy

5 starts representing a 5 star review.

Doing the Hatch Female Founders course was a huge turning point for me and my small business. The support was superb and the knowledge gained is something I will forever be grateful for. Huge thanks to the wonderful team that make up Hatch.

Apply now

Price:

£150 £300

50% Early bird discount available until March 31st 2025.

This programme is valued at over £5000, but thanks to the generosity of our partner, participants are only asked to pay a £300 contribution. There are also a limited number of bursary places available.

Programme start date: 

28th May 2025 

 

Application deadline:  13th April 2025

Do you have any questions? Are you unsure if this is the right course for you? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with Niamh by booking a call, or emailing our team at programmes@hatchenterprise.org.

Frequently asked questions

This Accelerator programme is custom-built for social entrepreneurs and shaped directly by the cohort’s needs. Each cohort member will help influence the programme’s direction by identifying their key areas for growth as a business leader. To maintain a highly personalised experience, we limit each cohort to just 15-20 carefully selected social entrepreneurs.

Founders with a social impact business based in London, with a turnover of at least £40,000 are eligible to apply.

This includes your annual revenue along with any grant funding or donations you may have received.

This programme is perfect for founders who are ready to move from working in their business (managing day-to-day operations) to working on their business—focusing on strategy, long-term vision, and growth. It’s designed for those looking to scale, with plans to secure investment, loans, or other funding within the next year. You may already have a team in place or be preparing to hire as part of your growth journey

The programme runs for 4.5 months from May – October 2025. 

The programme is a hybrid format with the kick-off session and final session (Demo Day & Graduation) taking place in-person at our office on East Street. The rest of the programme will consist of 16 online sessions, which are divided into expert sessions and group workshops.

This programme valued at over £5000, but thanks to our partnership with the City Bridge Foundation, costs just £300. Sign up before 31st March to receive 50% off. Bursaries to cover the programme fee are also available, read more below.

Hatch Enterprise’s operates a trust-based self-referral system, when it comes to bursaries. It is our policy to offer bursaries to anyone who:

  • Is unemployed or underemployed.
  • Is eligible for government assistance, including Universal Credit or benefits.
  • Would risk their ability to meet their basic needs (eg. buy food, pay childcare, pay rent or make debt payments) by paying to join one of our programmes. This includes the needs of anyone who you may have a responsibility to as a carer.
  • Would reduce their ability to afford things like public transport or fuel, or their ability to commute to work by paying to join one of our programmes.
  • Anyone who has an unstable housing situation, and/or anyone who has very limited expendable income or savings.
  • Anyone who would negatively affect their ability to run or grow their business by paying to join one of our programmes.

Additional partnerships also enable us to offer free places to residents of the following housing associations: Peabody, The Guinness Partnership

If the cost of the programme is a barrier, you can indicate that you would like to be considered for a bursary in the application form to reduce or remove the programme cost.

After graduation, you’ll join the Hatch Community, gaining access to:

  • The Hatch Grant Fund
  • Our extensive network of alumni, experts, and mentors
  • Our exclusive founder platform, Circle
  • Exclusive access to perks, discounts, events and opportunities for Hatch alumni

Thanks to our partners at Natwest a grant pot of £15k is available from which graduates can apply for competitive grants of up to £5k.